Court dismisses 'foreign agent' case against Human Rights Institute

Today, 1 April 2016, Ostankino district court in Moscow dismissed a case relating to violations of the rules of procedure for a “foreign agent” NGO which had been brought against the Human Rights Institute, headed by the well-known human rights activist Valentin Gefter.

The case was triggered by the Institute’s refusal to register voluntarily as a “foreign agent”, as reported by the Agora International Human Rights Group, citing the lawyer who represented the NGO (Ilnur Sharapov).

On 1 March 2016 Ostankino district court had overturned a ruling by the magistrate of the 312th judicial district, who on 11 December 2015 had found the Human Rights Institute guilty of an administrative offence and fined it 300,000 roubles.

“The district court overturned the magistrate’s ruling and referred the case for a retrial. It was this retrial which took place today, but the period of limitation for holding the NGO liable had expired, and the court was obliged to dismiss the case,” explained Mr Sharapov.

The Human Rights Institute, an independent non-profit organisation, was subject to compulsory inclusion on the Russian Ministry of Justice’s list of “foreign agent” NGOs in November 2015.